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Daredevil Season 3 Sees Kingpin as an 'Evolving' Character

Vincent D'Onofiro's Kingpin in "evolving" in season 3 of Netflix's flagship Marvel Comics series Daredevil. The actor and character earned praise during the Man Without Fear's inaugural season, much of it focusing on the strength of D'Onofrio's performance and how Wilson Fisk had become one of the few live-action Marvel villains to have an engaging story that ran parallel to and eventually intersected with the hero's. And though he spent season 2 confined to his prison cell, and sat out The Defenders entirely (because hanging with ninjas and hunting dragon bones just isn't his thing, apparently) Kingpin is expected to make a return to Hell's Kitchen in season 3, just to make Matt Murdock's life a living hell.

So far, the chatter surrounding Daredevil season 3 is that it will incorporate aspects of 'Born Again', which is considered to be one of, if not the best story lines written for the character. The task of fitting that story into the Netflix side of the MCU falls to incoming showrunner Erik Oleson, former writer and co-executive producer on CBS' Unforgettable and The CW's Arrow. Oleson will be the third showrunner in as many seasons for the series, stepping in for Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez, who in turn stepped in for Steven DeKnight, who has since moved on to direct Pacific Rim Uprising.

Needless to say, Oleson has his work cut out for him. Thankfully, though, he has the support of D'Onofrio, who, in a recent interview with Collider, says the new head writer has set Wilson Fisk on an emotional path for season 3. D'Onofrio said:

"It’s hard to top the first season, with Steven DeKnight’s writing, but Erik Oleson (the new showrunner) is a very good writer. I’ve shot some pretty cool scenes, so far. It’s different, but it’s very Fisk. It’s still very emotional. The character is evolving. His whole deal is based on emotion, so we’re taking him down that role further.

There are new focuses and new goals. That’s all I can say. If it was up to me, I would go on and on and on about it because it’s so interesting, but it’s so important to them, for us to keep our mouths shut."

D'Onofrio's comments are a good sign, not only because the actor's enthusiasm for his character and commitment to the series are as strong as ever, but also because it helps to assuage concern over the fact this is Daredevil's third showrunner. That kind of turnover rate is perhaps understandable considering the series' irregular production schedule, but it's also a concern that even with its sordid history, The Walking Dead can raise an eyebrow in Daredevil's direction.

Still, given that Daredevil has had some time off to accommodate The Defenders, it's not unreasonable to think the upcoming third season will have had more time to marinate than its predecessor. With D'Onofrio and Fisk returning, and the season not acting as a backdoor pilot for another character, Oleson is in a good position to put Netflix's flagship comic series back on top.